City, area digest

Poppy Day in Columbus today

COLUMBUS -- Poppy Day is today in Columbus, sponsored by the American Legion Harman Post #84. The poppies are made by veterans in hospitals and veteran homes in Norfolk, Grand Island and Omaha.

Proceeds from the poppy event will be spent locally and in Nebraska on veteran sponsored activities. Volunteers will be in Columbus accepting donations.

Youth Christian Choir meeting

COLUMBUS -- Columbus area youth ages 13 through 18 are invited to an informational meeting at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, May 22, at the Columbus YMCA, to learn more about the formation of the Community Youth Christian Choir.

Auditions will be held at 4 p.m., Friday, May 30, for youth age 13-18.

The choir will focus on contemporary Christian music with some traditional and updated favorites as well as a few skits.

Dennis Parker, coordinator of the project said the plan is to have the choir ready for performances at various community celebrations and venues this summer.

For more information, call Dennis Parker at 563-9232 or the YMCA at 564-9477.

CPS meeting on special education

COLUMBUS -- A meeting conducted by Columbus Public Schools will take place at Scotus Central Catholic High School at 9:15 a.m. May 28.

The purpose of the meeting will be to provide an opportunity for parents and representatives of nonpublic schools to participate in the development of a plan for providing special education services to children with disabilities who attend nonpublic schools and home schools which are within the Columbus Public Schools district for the 2008-09 school year.

Parents of a home-schooled child or a child attending a nonpublic school who has been or may be identified with a disability and attend a nonpublic school within the boundaries of Columbus Public Schools, are urged to attend.

For more information contact Lynne Swantz, director of Student Services for Columbus Public Schools at 563-7000.

Summer driving ed. course offered

COLUMBUS -- The Nebraska Safety Council will be having a summer driver education class beginning May 27.

The course will provide instruction in the fundamentals of safe driving for teens, and will include 22 hours of classroom instruction, five hours of behind-the-wheel training, and a 30-minute driving test at the end of the course.

To enroll, a student must possess a school or learner’s permit. All behind-the-wheel training will be conducted in Columbus and the surrounding roadways.

Tuition is $275, with limited enrollment.

For more information or to register, call (402) 483-2511.

4th degree Knights to present colors

COLUMBUS -- Fourth degree members of the Knights of Columbus are planning to present and raise the colors as an honor guard at Scotus Central Catholic home football games during the 2008 season.

All fourth degree Knights who are members of one of the three city councils -- St. Bonaventure Council 938, St. Anthony Council 9264 or St. Isidore Council 12086 -- along with members of the John F. Kennedy Assembly 0605 who are parents of Scotus students, are welcome to participate.

Scotus’ four home football games in 2008 are Aug. 29 vs. Lakeview, Sept. 5 vs. Aquinas, Oct. 3 vs. Centennial and Oct. 23 vs. Boone Central.

Fourth degree Knights interested in participating should contact Don Strecker by phone at 562-8515 or 563-7540 or by e-mail at don_strecker@yahoo.com.

Duncan open house May 20

DUNCAN -- Duncan Elementary patrons will be hosting a community open house from 6-8 p.m. May 20.

There will be a Sloppy Joe supper served starting at 6 p.m. and continuing until the food runs out. The school will be open for tours, and people can look at yearbooks, photos and other items that will be on display.

There will be a raffle for a refrigerator, microwave, digital camera and fog machine with the proceeds going to the Duncan Scholarship Fund. The evening also will feature a softball challenge between the kids and adults.

Ag tour slated for today, Friday

Faculty and staff from the University of Nebraska’s Institute of Agriculture are going on the road in northeast Nebraska this week.

IANR’s first-ever Roads Scholar Tour today-Friday will take about 40 people to stops in Norfolk, Columbus, Scribner, West Point, Lyons, Bancroft and Concord.

The purpose of the trip is to build on IANR’s already strong research, extension and teaching efforts in the region, said Allan Vyhnalek, UNL Extension educator who’s leading the venture. It’s also aimed at introducing recent IANR hires to the institute’s statewide mission.

IANR, which includes UNL Extension, the Agricultural Research Division and the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, is a good investment for the state, Vyhnalek said. A 2007 study by an independent organization found IANR annually returns at least $15 in benefits to Nebraskans for every dollar of state support, making it a primary engine for economic and social sustainability.

IANR’s impact on Nebraska is highlighted in a report titled “At Work for Nebraska” at http://atworkfornebraska.com.

Tour stops will cover a wide variety of IANR programs, including agriculture, natural resources, families and youth.

Summer dance camp scheduled

COLUMBUS -- Summer Dance Camp 2008 is planned for kids grades K-2 from 9-11:30 a.m. and grades 3-5 and 6-8 from 1-4 p.m. at North Park Elementary School June 16-19.

Deadline to register for this camp is June 1. Cost of $40 per dancer includes a T-shirt. The camp will be instructed by Lynette's Dance Studio alumni and current Nebraska Wesleyan Dance Team members Jenna Davies and Angie Zulkoski (former Miss Columbus). No experience is required.

To register, call Jenna at (402) 910-6467 or e-mail jdavies@nebrwesleyan.edu.

Farewell party for Jerry Meyer set

COLUMBUS -- The Andrew Jackson Higgins Memorial Committee is planning a farewell party for LTC Jerry Meyer from 7-9 p.m. May 20 at the American Legion Post 84.

Meyer, who will be making remarks at 8:30 p.m., will be moving to Lincoln with his family at the end of the month.

The event is open to the public.